Display fixture



E. C. DIMLING DISPLAY FIXTURE Aug. 30, 1949.

Filed Sept. 6, 1946 Patented Aug. 30, 1949 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE I I V 7 2,480,637

' DISPLAY FIXTURE Edwin C. Dimling, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to Cluett, Peabody & 00., Inc., Troy, N. Y, a corporation of New York Application September 6, 1946, Serial No. 695,170

This invention relates to store fixtures and particularly to those having forwardly and upwardly opening display bins for articles of merchandise. The merchant having such a display fixture may from time to time wish to' change the kind of articles on display in said bins, and hence it is desirable to be able to change the width and depth of the bins from time to time for this purpose.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved store display fixture having forwardly and upwardly opening display bins; with which the depth and width of the bins may each be selectively varied from time to time in a simple and practical manner, by simpl manipulations of the display structure; with which unused space will be available for storage of additional merchandise at the rear of the bins; which will always be attractive in appearance and adjustable without the use of tools; and which will be relatively simple, compact, practical and inexpensive.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description-of one embodiment of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is afront elevation, on a reduced scale, of a display fixture constructed in accordance with this invention; a

Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional elevation of the upper part of the structure shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken approximately along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of the same, the section being taken approximately along the lin 33 of Fig. 2; and H Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of part of the same, on a scale larger than in Fig. 2.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the fixture includes a suitable base section I, on which is disposed a superstructure 2, having a base member 3 with a relatively fiat upper face or surface, and end walls 4 extending upwardly from the ends of the base member and supporting a top member 5 in spaced relation to the base member 3, but with the rear edge of the top member aligned approximately vertically with the rear edge of the bottom member 2, and with the forward edge 6 of the top member disposed at a substantial distance rearwardly from a ver-. tical plane through the forward edge of the base member 3. The top member has a cowl part I, facing downwardly and forwardly in which is disposed an electric light 8, backed by a reflector 9,

3 Claims. (01. 312117) for directing light downwardly and forwardly upon the base member 2. The under face of the top member 5 is defined by a flat wall III, which is parallel with the upper face 3 0f the base member 2. I 7

An upright back wall II extends between the end walls 4, and also between the upper face of the base member 3 and the wall I0 of the top member 5, see Fig. 2. As shown clearly in Fig. 4, both of the upper and lower edges Na and III) of the wall II are generally parallel and beveled, that is, their edge faces are beveled or made oblique to the planes of the front and rear faces of the wall II. The lower edge hot the wall II is so'beveled that its forward corner will be lower than its rearward corner when the wall II is upright, and the upper edge II a of wall II is also so beveled that its forward corner is lower than its rearward corner. In other words, both upper and lower edges Ila and I lb of the wall I I are beveled to extend upwardly and'rearwardly when wall II isupright.

The lower edge Nb of the wall II is provided with a plurality of depending dowel pins I2, arranged at spaced intervals along the wall II, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper face 3 of the base member 3 is provided with a plurality of small recesses l3, arranged in rows extending in .a direction from front to rear, and those in each row being aligned with a pin I2, so that when the wall I I is adjusted forwardly or rearwardly, each of the dowel pins I2 may be received in any of the recesses I3 in the row. There is a row of recesses I3 for each dowel pin I2, and the cor responding recesses in the different rows will be aligned in directions lengthwise of thewall I I.

Secured upon the rear face of the Wall II, adjacent its upper edge, are spring latches or catches I4 (two being shown), which have movable members I5 that are springprojected upwardly beyond the upper edge Ila of the wall I I. The lower face of plate II] is provided with a plurality of recesses It, also arranged in parallel rows extending forwardly and rearwardly, the recesses of each row being aligned with a member I5, and spaced apart in the row the same distances as the recesses I3. Thus when the dowel pins I2 are in' some of the recesses I3 of the base member 2, the movable member I5 of each catch I 4 may enter a recess I6 in its related row, in plate I0, and thus hold'the wall II from tilting forwardly and r'earwardly. The entrance into each of the recesses I 6 may be faced with a countersunk strike plate I]. The catch I4 is similar to that on doors,'havi'ng a movable member with a forwardly facing, beveled strike face I8 by which it may be cammed aside until a recess [6 is reached. A spring, usual in such catches, snaps the movable latch member upwardly into any recess I6 aligned therewith.

A quarter-round molding strip 19 is provided along the marginal edges of the front face of plate H, and the upper andlower stretches of this molding are provided with notches 29, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. A strip of similar quarter-round molding 2! is also provided along the forward edge of the upper face 3 of thebase member 2, and it also carries notches 22, that are aligned, in a direction from front to therear,

with the notches 2U. Partitidnfplates "23, preferably of transparent material such as glass or translucent, synthetic plastic material, are f ormed of a size to fit the space forwardly ofthe wall H, between the wall 10 and the base member 3, and are arranged in parallel but spaced relation along the wall 1 I, to divide the display space into a plurality 'of forwardlyand upwardly opening bins; Theedgesof plates 23 are received in the notches 20 of molding I9, and in the notches 22 of molding strip 2|,- whichserves to support the plates 23 in upright positions. 7

By adjusting the plates 23 along the wall ll into any of the diiferentaligned notches 2B and 22, one may vary the widths of the bins in any manner desired. Sim'ila-r' plates '24 are permanently disposedto extend forwardly from the end walls 4 to the moldingstrip H, and form the outside walls of the "end bins. When the wall I l is -adjusted forwardly "or 'rearwardly one substitutes a new 'set' of plates 23, which have the proper length 'from'front torear, so as to extend from the forward molding strip 2| to the wall I i in each particular'po'sition intowhich it may be adjusted.

When one desires to adjust the wall II for- Wardly' or rearwardltqthe"partition plates 23 are first removed, to avoid'breakage', then the ,movablemembers of the catches, which are attached to knobs "25,areretracted'from'the recesses l6, whereupon the upper'edge' 'of'the wall ll may then bej 'ulled 'rearwardly, using the knobs 25 as handles. The beveled or oblique upper edge of the wall H gives sufiicient clearance for the walltdtilt rearwar'dly, and the oblique loweredge of thewallll also allows this may be moved forwardly or 'rea rwardly to the new ,1

desired position wh re" the dowel pins l2 are placed in diiferent'recesses' 3. The wall H is then tilted forwardly at its upper edge, and when it swings'into'the proper upright position, the movable members I5of the latches will snap into the recesses 16 and thus'hold' the wall H in the upright position.

It will be noted that when the wall I l is in its upright position, the forward corner of the lower edge will be lowermost and resting upon the upper face of the base member 3, thus avoiding any substantial crack along the lower edge of the wall II. There will befa'slight crack along the upper edge of the wall If but this is concealed beneath the plate [0, so as to. be invisible to a person standingin "front of this display fixture and looking into the'bins. The space behind wall I l is always available for storing additional articles of the type on display 'in'thebin's.

It will be understood that various changes in All the details, materials and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a display fixture-for-stores, a base member, a top member having a depth from front to rear substantially less than the corresponding depth of the base member, vertical Walls connecting the top and base members in vertically spaced relation, with the forward edge of the top member disposed rearwardly of the forward edge of the base member, a back wall disposed approximately vertically between said members, extending between said. vertical Walls, and adjustable forwardly 'andrearwardly into a plurality of different positions, the planes of the upper and lower edges of said back'wall being oblique to the faces of that wall, the loweredgehaving its forward corner lower-most, the upper edge having its rear corner uppermost, said back wall having a depending pin and thebasemember having, in its upper face, a plurality of spaced recesses in a row extending ina direction forwardly and .rearwardly, and into any one of whichsaid pinmay be loosely received, means carried by the back wall, adjacent its upper edge and on the 'rear face thereof, having detachable interengagement with the underface of-said topmember to secure the upper edge of said back wall against movement forwardly andrearwardly in any .of a plurality of difierent positions, and approximately upright partitions spaced apart .along said back wall, between said members and forwardly of the back wall to provide withsaid members and walls a pluralityof forwardlyand upwardly opening display bins.

2-111 a-display fixture for stores, a base member, a top member, .end walls supporting the top member from thebasemember in a spaced relation thereto, the-top member having less depth from front to-rear than-thebase member, and the forward edge of -the-topmember being disposed rearwardly .of a vertical plane through the forward edge of the-base -member, an upright wall extending between -the end walls, and between the topand basemembers and havingv its upper and lower edges in planes oblique'to the forwardand-rear faces-of the-uprightwall, with the forward corner of thelower edge lower than the rear corner of that edge and the forward corner of the upper edge lower than-therear corner of that-edge an-element depending from the lower part- 'ofthe-upright wall andthe'base member having a forwardly and-rearwardly extending row of recesses each ofwhich may receive said element for hold-ingthelower edge of the upright wall against-forward and rearward lineal displacement while-inany ofa plurality of locations, forwardly and rearwardly, and means interacting between the"top'rmember' and the upper part of saidupright wall. for releaseably limiting the forward and rearward rocking of said upright wall on-said base member while the upright wall isain any. of-a pluralityzof different locations forwardly and rearwardly.

V 3. In a display fixture forstores, a'base member, a topmember, end walls supporting .the top member from the b'asemember in a spaced relation thereto, the top member having less depth from front to rear than thebasemember, and the forward-edge of the tops member being disposed rearwardly-of a-vertical planethrougn theforward edge of the base member, an upright wall extending between the end walls, and between the top and base members, the forward corner of the lower edge of the upright wall being lower than the remainder of that edge, and the forward corner of the upper edge of the upright wall being lower than the remainder of that edge, an element depending from the lower part of the upright wall and the base member having a forwardly and rearwardly extending row of recesses in its upper face, each of which may receive said element for holding the lower edge of the upright wall against forward and rearward lineal displacement while in any of a plurality of different locations forwardly and rearwardly, and means interacting between said upright wall and said top member for releaseably limiting the for- .ward and rearward rocking of said upright wall on said base member while said upright wall is in any of a plurality of said different locations forwardly and rlearwardly.

EDWIN C. DIMLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

